Recently, sex work became a topic of discussion in Parliament as reported here. We discussed the issue at length on the BC HRC egroup. Here are my thoughts.

Let these people do what they want. Let them have a Union so that they’ll be well protected. If we can have a Majilis Peguam Islam, I can’t see why we can’t have a Kesatuan Sekerja Seks Malaysia (KSSM – pronounced as ‘Kiss Me’). All are being done to facilitate the interests of a certain group of people.

Besides, if SEX is legal and SELLING is legal, why is SELLING SEX illegal? I don’t quite see the logic in the prostitution argument. We have to put our superstitious religious views aside as well as our irrational and unfounded fear of God and realise that sex is but another natural craving of a human being just as eating and drinking is.

Every person as of puberty thinks about sex. It is a biological drive manufactured by your brain to get you to reproduce and keep the species thriving. Completely natural. Nothing to be ashamed about. It’s only human. The dangers arise when you curtail these drives and try to label them as bad or evil; that’s when you get overly self-righteous and you start discriminating against anyone who disagrees with you.

And why the guilt associated with paying for sex? If you can buy condoms, why can’t you buy sex? You’re going to be doing the same thing anyway at the end of the day. Buying sex is a completely honest purchase that’s helping the economy move. There are electronic items purchased in this country that are made by underpaid workers in a sweat shop in China with goods supplied by poor child labourers in India; that to me is a lot more vile.

I would rather see some guy pay for sex than abduct a 16-year old girl, sodomise her with a badminton racquet before raping her and throwing her off a suspension bridge. Or some sexually repressed grandfather with a religious hat and a beard proceed to drop his sarong and perform sex acts on his 9-year old granddaughter.

15 replies on “Sex work”

  1. I totally agree with Kar Mern, esp on point (s).

    It makes no sense to frown upon it just because there's money involved. With protection, its just harmless sex.

    The "user beware" rule should apply here too. If indeed a person does not mind with whom or how the sex is obtained, then he should be left to decide. With consent, they're merely two strangers having sex very much like a man and a woman after meeting on a dance floor of a nightclub, just that this time, the ladies get more than just a free dinner or a drink!

    Just like how smoking is left up to the decision of the people buying the cigarettes. If you dont like the idea of it, dont buy it.

    Unlike smoking though, "second-hand sex" does not exist. At least i think it does not. If you have sex with a sex worker, people around you are not going to get cervical cancer and die! AND AND no cigarette-condoms to prevent lung cancer. We should really just ban smoking instead!=)

  2. Hellu!

    People often suggest that performing sexual services in return for money is a "violation of a person's dignity". To me, unless you are a sex worker who makes a living out of providing sexual services to others (whether by choice or not) or unless you are one who is directly affected by the sex trade, it is difficult to speak on their behalf as to what amounts to a violation of their dignity. Many sex workers enjoy being a sex worker…for various reasons, really. For the purposes of this email, lets replace "participants" with "clients".

    q) It's another form of providing services that involves quite abit of money. It's for food on the table, and a roof over their head. (but how they spend their money is irrelevant) it's a job, whether they like it or not, they do it…just like most of us.

    r) Some find it therapeutic to get to know their clients, and to an extent acting as "psychologists" to those who are not "getting it' , full stop; or from their wives/husbands, girlfriends/boyfriends or just general problems in bed – many clients feel like they have the liberty to "be themselves" and having spoken to some sex workers, they are glad to be of service as long as there is mutual respect – to see sex as merely a service, to some extent, another shared human experience.

    If it is "violation" in terms of how other people perceive it to be, then we are merely just perpetuating discrimination against sex workers because how is a sex worker's dignity violated if those providing the service sees it as a form of business? It is our society which has evolved to reduce the world's oldest profession into thinking that it is now "morally polluted by depraved individuals" who have no sense of who they are and where they stand in our society. This is how we suscribe daily to all these moral highgrounds belonging to people who think they know what is right and what is wrong. This is what we have been conditioned to believe every single day, is it not?

    s) Yes some could be coerced into performing these services – whether it is for food, drugs, pressure from pimps, or even cops in lockups when sex workers have no money to pay the bribe – but the recognition of legalised prostitution will regulate the the sex trade and provide certain safeguards within the trade and at the very least provide a safer and more open space to enable discussion and for the promotion of safe sex and awareness of various STDs, especially HIV/AIDS. If it is regulated, there will be a decline in abuse by clients and authorities because there will be a fear of prosecution under the relevant laws. It might not end all abuses, but at least there will be a level of respect and recognition. Then maybe we can see sex work as just another job, and then subsequently we shouldnt also frown upon those who seek services from the sex trade…because…again, demand and supply.

    At the end of the day, sex is a form of business to the sex workers. It is another form of service. Like everything else, accepting it becomes a matter of perception and raising a different kind of awareness about individual rights and respect for another person's choice in life, regardless of who you are and where you are from.

    "I do not agree with a word that you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it"

    So yeah man, legalise prostitution!

  3. Bujang Tet, your remarks clearly show you to be an uncultured, low-minded, regressive simian; you sure you're not a card carying member of Bee-N? I am sure your mother would be very proud of your grasp of the modalities of incest, having descended from an incestous race with a fabricated history and doubtful lineage.

    India was a world empire at a time when you simians were still swinging from your trees and living in your filthy riverside mud-and-grass huts (or an apology for a hut) and molesting your own offspring, just like monkeys.

    And finally, "glass houses" old boy/ape/chimpanzee/babboon, as the case may be.

  4. Bujang tet..you have to be bujang all your life..unless you want your MOTHER.!..What kind of S-hole are you? Is this what you learn in school ,you moronic low class pariah!

  5. It's a little too much what you say.

    But its worth to say it if it is the truth

  6. so, what is being proposed is that at the end of the day, prostitutes will later be taxed. and when that happens well, an interesting situation will present itself, unions. wow.

  7. As long as we continue to "not" have sex education, we are screwed.

    Look at all those unwanted pregnancies, unwanted "born" babies, rapes, relatives rape own born, etc…, etc….

    Its about "education". You don't teach them, they'll think its all part & parcel of life. Especially the innocent children who "don't know" anything…..!!!

    Sex is "not" dirty…! Its part of nature for us to regenarate……!!!

    Its only dirty when we "abuse" it……..!!!!

    Of course "I" have already educate my children about sex….!!!

    How & when it is wrong. Only when it is right. What are the consiquenses. And what's it all about…….!!!!!!!!!!

    Now they know…!

    Most of the time Malaysians are shy to educated their children on the "sex" subject. But somehow they must find a way to teach it…!

    Or gather together & get a professional to help….!!!

    Children ARE inquisitive & some ARE willing to "experience" it for knowledge.

    Not knowing "what's" gonna happen…….!!!!!!!!

    Sex education somehow must be taught…!

  8. how INDIA got its name? King asoka was thingking hard what he sould name the country while having sex with his MOTHER when she yelled "put IN-DEAR"

  9. in ancient India prostitutes are respected as an important element of the society. Kings personally provide protection to them and they form part of the reception party for home-coming Kings.

    The reason prostitutes are respected is because they provide extremely important service to the society by keeping lusty men in check by satisfying them. If the these lowly men's lust remain unsatisfied, they will naturally turn to other innocent women and child as is happening nowadays.

  10. In your conclusion, as long as the man/woman pays for the sex service, he/she should be allowed to be set free from guilt. Why does it sound like, "As long as I have the money, I can do what I want"?

    A paedophile is actually taking care of the child sex worker's welfare as long as he pays?

    Since sex service does not hurt anyone else (provided they do not contract HIV or STD), I suppose a sex worker who is hard core poor can refuse to provide sex service if the worker does not want to.

    So, yeah. Why not?

  11. 1st – you are not allowed to wear YELLOW

    2nd – you are not allowed to wear ORANGE

    3rd – you are not allowed to wear BLACK

    4th – you are not allowed to mention AMN, RB

    5th – you are not allowed to light CANDLE

    6th – you are not allowed to celebrate BIRTHDAY

    7th – you are not allowed to FAST

    & the latest one – you are not allowed to talk about SEX openly!!

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